The Forsyth County Health Department urges residents to get vaccinated after a pertussis outbreak.

Pertussis is also known as whooping cough.

The respiratory disease is spread easily from person to person through coughing, according to Dr. Christopher Ohl.

Ohl says that whooping cough affects people of all ages, but can be most severe - and in some cases life-threatening - in babies and people with weak immune systems.

The vaccination is available for all ages. The Forsyth County Health Department particularly urges people who are in close contact with infants to be vaccinated.

The Forsyth County Health Department provided the following information:

The DTaP vaccination is recommended for children starting at 2 months through 6 years of age.

The Tdap booster shot is recommended for any child 7 to 10 years old who did not complete the childhood DTaP vaccination series. The booster is also recommended to anyone 11 years old and older who has not yet received a Tdap booster.

Tdap is also vital for pregnant women, people with pre-existing chronic respiratory disease and healthcare providers.

As of September 17, 98 cases of whooping cough were reported in Forsyth County. Six of those cases were infants.

The 98 cases account for nearly 25 percent of all cases in North Carolina.